Restroom maintenance tips

The condition of a school's restrooms can set the tone for how students view the facility: Is it safe and healthful? Will they treat it with respect? Or do neglect and unsanitary conditions reflect the apathy and disdain that permeate the building?

Weekly cleaning, the manual says, generally covers the same steps, but often involve the use of brushes and scrub pads to remove stains and soil, and the use of chemicals in higher concentrations to remove hard-to-remove stains.

"Lime and rust stains are two of the more common stubborn stains that plague toilets," the manual says. "These stains generally cannot be removed using the daily cleaner."

Dirty mop bucket water from restroom cleaning should not be used for cleaning other areas of the school, the manual recommends. Custodians and other staff should wear appropriate protective equipment — gloves and wet-splash goggles should be available when using cleaning products, especially disinfectants. Schools should avoid using chlorine bleach solutions.